As technology has developed, the types of devices and media formats that those devices use has multiplied. In a single day, one can come into contact with multiple presentations of the same data, served in different formats. For example, a person may watch the same news transmission on a high definition television, a cellphone or on a laptop. All these devices would be presenting the same data, but using different transmission formats. Each of these transmission formats must take the original source format, such as high definition television, and use a transcoder to change into another format for use. This becomes the problem needing a solution: How to accept one source of data, from the original signal provider, and efficiently change it to multiple output formats.
Conventional integrated receiver decoders (IRDs) can receive RF signals and output digital media streams containing video, audio, and other data. An IRD is often used to provide a link between satellite delivery of media and distribution of that media by cable, telecommunication, and other service providers. New distribution channels such as internet and mobile are creating new challenges for programmers. Currently, programmers rely on their partners to repurpose content but the market for multi-format processing is fragmented.
Currently, programmers may create and have to securely distribute many versions of their content. Satellite programmers (ESPN, HBO, Fox) now must deliver their content to non-traditional displays, including the PCs and mobile devices. Each of these new devices may require a different format and resolution to be applied. Otherwise, their affiliate operators must use third party tools to transcode the programmer's content into different format/resolutions. This will now be described in greater detail.
Media content, including video, audio, images and text are increasingly consumed by way of the Internet. To protect the rights of the content holders, online media content is often provided to users on demand. Accordingly, media content may be centralized and require significant computing and networking power to be able to deliver a satisfactory viewing experience to end users.
To deliver media to end users efficiently, networks must be capable of providing media content in a variety of formats to be consumed on a variety of devices. An example media delivery network will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example media delivery network 100. Devices in media delivery network 100 may be categorized into three classes, media sources 102, media adapters 104 and media renderers 106.
Media sources 102 provide media content, e.g., audio and video data, in a specific format or formats and are capable of transmitting the media content across media delivery network 100. In media delivery network 100, five distinct media sources are illustrated as media sources 102 for purpose of explanation. Of course any number of media sources may be used in a media delivery network. The separate media sources 102 represent media sources that are either: a media source providing a distinct format(s) of media content; and/or a media source providing a format(s) of media content for a distinct geographical area of media renderers 106. For example, one of media sources 102 may provide un-compressed streaming video content to all of media renderers 106.
Media adapters 104 are able to adapt an input format of media content to an output format for the media content. One example method of media format adaptation that media adapters 104 may perform is transcoding. Another example method of media format adaptation that media adapters 104 may perform is data stream switching.
Often, media renderers 106 are unable to render the media content in the format or formats as provided by media sources 102. To address these types of situations, media adapters 104 are able to adapt media content from one format to another format. In particular, media adapters 104 may transcode the media content from the format as provided by media sources 102 into a media content format that may be utilized by media renderers 106. For example, a specific type of media renderer may be a cellular phone that can render media content that has been encoded under the Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) encoding standard, whereas a media source may only provide uncompressed media content data. To address this example situation, a media adapter may be able to transcode the uncompressed media content data as provided by the media source into an MPEG format, which may be utilized by the cellular phone.
As mentioned above, media adapters 104 may additionally adapt an input format of media content to an output format for the media content by data stream switching. In particular, media adapters 104 may be able to receive multiple data streams of media content and output a smaller number of streams. For example, a media adapter of media adapters 104 may be able to receive a first data stream from one media source and to receive a second data stream from another media source. In this situation, the media adapter may be arranged to output one of the two data streams. The output format may then be usable by other media adapters or by specific media renderers 106.
In media delivery network 100, nine distinct media adapters are illustrated as media adapters 104 for purpose of explanation. Of course any number of media adapters may be used in a media delivery network.
Media renderers 106 are devices capable of playing media content from media sources 102 for end users. For example, a specific type of media adapter may be operable to receive streaming video data and output corresponding MPEG encoded video data. In media delivery network 100, four distinct media renderers are illustrated as media renderers 106 for purpose of explanation. Of course any number of media renderers may be used in a media delivery network. The separate media renderers 106 represent media renderers that are either: a media renderers operable to receive a distinct format(s) of media content; and/or a number of media renderer, within a distinct geographical area, that are operable to receive a format(s) of media content. For example, media sources 102 may provide un-compressed streaming video content to all of media renderers 106.
Media delivery network 100 is a conventional three-tier adaptation organization; a first tier of media sources, a second tier of media adaptors and a final tier of media renderers. Of course the second tier of media adaptors may have many levels of adapters, wherein a top level adaptor may change a format received by a media source to a new format, which is then changed to another format by another media adaptor at a lower level, which is then changed to yet another format by yet another media adapter at a yet lower level, and so on. For purposes of explanation however, this multi-level scheme of adapters will be considered a single tier in the conventional three-tier adaptation organization of media delivery network 100. The media content is provided through one of media sources 102, which may be located in a cluster of media servers, or even in different physical locations. An adaptation operation is executed through media adapters 104, each of which is capable of reshaping the media content into certain adapted formats. The destination of the adapted media content is a network of media renderers 106 with diverse types of devices. This generic scenario applies to various types of applications such as classic media streaming through Internet, digital home as described by digital linked network alliance (DLNA) and pervasive peer-to-peer media communication as described by universal plug and play (UPNP) forum.
An example transmission of media content will now be described.
A media source 108 contains a specified media content requested by a media renderer 910. Media source 108 outputs the specified media content to media adapters 104, which modify the media content so that media renderer 910 may efficiently receive and display the specified media content from media source 108.
In a conventional system, there are many users using many media renderers 106 in media delivery network 100. As more users request media content over media delivery network 100, the demand on media sources 102 and media adapters 104 becomes larger. Eventually, demand may surpass the amount of content that media delivery network 100 is capable of providing. In such a case at least one media renderer would not be able to render media.
There are many inefficiencies inherent in the present ad hoc approach to transcoding broadcast transmissions into multiple formats.
FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art transcoding system 200.
As illustrated in the figure, transcoding system 200 includes a transcoder 204, a transcoder 206, a transcoder 208 and a transcoder 210.
Transcoder 204, transcoder 206, transcoder 208 and transcoder 210 are arranged to receive signal 202.
Transcoder 204, transcoder 206, transcoder 208 or transcoder 210 accepts signal 202. For example, signal 202 may be provided by a cable or satellite provider. This signal may be in any one of a number of known formats, each of which includes: a specific type of encoding, such as MPEG, PDA, cellphone or high definition television; and a specific geographical distribution, for example to what area of destination the signal is to be transmitted. For purposes of discussion, assume that signal 202 is in high definition format, for distribution throughout the United States.
Each of transcoder 204, transcoder 206, transcoder 208 and transcoder 210 is capable of reformatting the signal 202 into another format. For example, assume that transcoder 204 is capable of transcoding high definition television format into standard definition format, for distribution throughout the United States. Assume that transcoder 206 is capable of transcoding the high definition television format into MPEG format, to the west coast of the United States. Assume that transcoder 208 is capable of transcoding the high definition television format into PDA format, to the East coast of the United States. Assume that transcoder 210 is capable of transcoding the high definition television format into cellphone format, to the state of New York. The appropriately reformatted signal from an individual transcoder is output as signal 212, 214, 216 or 218.
In operation, presume that service provider signal 202 is in high definition television format. Signal 202 is received by transcoder 204, transcoder 206, transcoder 208 and transcoder 210, where it is decoded, including instructions for an output signal type. After transcoding, a newly formatted signal is output to an end user as one of signal 212, signal 214, signal 216 or signal 218.
The shortcoming of prior art transcoding system 200 is that service provider signal 202 can only be sent to one transcoder at a time. Given the complex requirements for multiple signal outputs, this is a cumbersome methodology.
What is needed is a system and method for efficiently transcoding a signal from one format to a plurality of formats.